Blade of Dishonor by Thomas Pluck

Blade of Dishonor Reviews

• 
  Angel

  Hot damn Blade of Dishonor took me back to the days of Cinemax action flicks and when Van Damme was the king of action cinema taken up a notch thanks to some great writingPluck's got a gift for writing action scenes They're clear and in no way confusing even with multiple limbs and weapons flailing aroundI also enjoyed the back and forth between timelines The flashbacks were as eually engaging as the main plot Only complaint was with a few scenes that ran a little long but it really wasn't an issue that killed the storyRecommend this one for martial arts war and action movie junkies alike Tons of fun
• 
  Max

  I saw someone describe BLADE OF DISHONOR as 'the best 80's action movie you never saw y'know or words to that effectI agree and yet I disagree Having grown up watching and loving 80's action movies and those ninja movies and later in life having developed a taste for WWII films and samurai moviesI guess I can say that this is the best 80's action movie you never saw AND it's the best WWII combat movie you never saw also the best WWII POW movie you never saw and it's even got some excellent ninja movie seuences you never saw and is interspersed with some really solid samurai film moments that you y'knowAnd it's a BOOK so it's even better still Seriously this Pluck character writes lean mean action He knows his stuff watching the fight choreography in my mind was excellent From the modern action seuences the book is split between the present and WWII which are mixed martial arts Hong Kong Action Cinema style gun battles and even some vehicular homicide are excellent And the WWI seuences from training scenes to fistfights to commando raids swordfights and some truly horrific POW beatings gripping Exciting EngrossingAnd like any great 80's action movie slash WWII movie slash whateverthehellthiswas it has heart Soft uiet moments when needed; pensive reflective ones at timesY'know all tied up with the BADASS ACTION I meanRead it It's great Support this Pluck fellow it's his first novel and it kick ass What else do you need to know?
• 
  Ed

  Having read other books by the very talented Thomas Pluck I had passed on Blade of Dishonor because like an idiot I erroneously thought it was a graphic novel based on the cover I did finally succeed in figuring it out and was knocked out by a great adventure story from the perspective of Reeves a recently discharged Marine and MMA fighter and his salty Grandfather Butch with an amazing Special Forces backstory in WW2 Europe and Japan Throw in a hot redheaded girlfriend and good guy Samurai vs bad guy Ninja's result in a wildly entertaining novel with non stop action unforgettable characters original plot lines and humor while being totally politically incorrect
• 
  Rory Costello

  This is simply a blast Thomas Pluck's story careens from one hair raising action scene to the next fights mano a mano and with assorted weapons car chases war you name it I was particularly impressed by the World War II seuence set in the Monte Cassino campaign which was jaw droppingI've seen the term pulp attached to this book and though I agree there are strong elements of it I believe that this work has a lot in common with the work of Leon Uris and James Clavell except it's leaner Those authors topped the best seller charts and what their books also have in common with Pluck's besides great war scenes Uris POW drama Clavell's King Rat my favorite of his and Asia based intrigue Clavell's epics is character I liked and rooted for all of Pluck's protagonists but my particular favorite was Butch
• 
  Kevintipple

  Reeves has come back home to Minnesota and the small town he grew up in to find the town has changed in many ways The local Ford Plant has closed and the economic pain of that is just one of the things that continue to haunt the town He has changed as well thanks to growing up and serving in the military though many folks don’t seem inclined to talk to him The various ghosts of the past and shattered dreams haunt the town as well as Reeves and there are no easy answers for either Taken care of by Grandpa Butch Reeves spent most of his life in the back of the local Army Navy store It was there that Reeves developed a love for weapons especially knives and swords Butch is still alive and as angry as ever and isn’t about to let Reeves backslide into his old ways He also isn’t about to let anyone else mess with him That hardcore attitude towards family and the world will come in handy as Takehiko Yoshiro has come to buy the old store and all of its contents A buying attempt that will lead to violence as some things including honor simply are never for sale in this martial arts thriller Throw in a beautiful babe a fast car martial arts and an enduring love as well as a couple of other elements and Blade Of Dishonor by Thomas Pluck becomes a complicated ride into the past and present Featuring twin storylines with Grandpa Butch struggling to survive during World War II and Reeves struggling to survive now the read moves back and forth in time as the storylines merge together Martial arts and the history of various groups in Japan are major components of this book that blends the past and the present in a way that ultimately results in Reeves fighting for everything he holds dear in a violent final confrontation half a world away in Japan Officially World War II may be long over but some of the factors that led into the war are still at work in this very good tale where honor means everythingBlade Of DishonorThomas Pluckhttpthomaspluckcom Goombah Gumbo Presshttpthomaspluckcomgoombah gumbo September 5 2013ASIN B00F0N4G48E Book also available in print370 Pages399Material supplied by the author for my use in an objective reviewKevin R Tipple ©2013Mind Slices and Carpathian Shadows Volume II Book Reviews and More
• 
  Stephen Van

  A nitro burning thriller with unabashed pulp sensibilities Mr Pluck has skimmed through the brains of everyone that grew up watching late night movies the kind starring Michael Dudikoff or Burt Reynolds I didn’t know I was waiting this whole time for a book that successfully mashed together WWII ninjas Samurais and MMA fighters but Mr Pluck certainly did Don’t waste any time and pick this up immediately
• 
  Nigel Bird

  My eldest child will often describe wonderful things in life as ‘epic’ In that context Blade Of Dishonour certainly is It’s also something of an epic in its own rightOK it’s not a poem but the scale and the nature of the adventures of the main characters fits the billIt all starts when an ex cage fighting soldier returns to his home town He left to join the army as an alternative to going to prison after ruining the sporting future of the town’s main cop and needless to say the cop’s got it in for him from the off Compounding the old gripe is the spark that ignites between Reeves and the cop’s on off girlfriend TaraReeves turns in to live with his Grandfather Butch Butch is an ex soldier himself and runs an army surplus store in town Butch’s prize possession is a Samurai sword that he reaches to when recalling his own wartime adventures back in WW2 and remembering his comrades On top of it all he’s made a promise to keep the sword safe and to Butch a promise on this scale means he’d put his life in the way of anyone coming to get itSomeone comes A Japanese business man wanting to buy the store and all of its contents In the end Butch has to agree but not before selling the sword on to Reeves that day and therefore exempting it from the dealWhen it’s discovered that the sword is missing all hell breaks looseAt this point the story breaks into a number of strands and they all come together beautifullyMy favourite element is Butch and the story of his life in Europe and Japan It’s slickly written and has a real flavour of authenticity During this story a romance is also told and the true meaning of the sword is revealedIt’s no wonder that there are conflicts over it given its gravity And it’d no wonder that the good guys don’t want the baddies the shadow clans to get it It’s a national treasureThe sense of energy and adventure is maintained throughout and the story fills out perfectly as all the pieces are put into placeWhat you get is lots of stories in one There are the love stories that bind characters together There are family loyalties and newly formed friendships that have deep meaning to those involved There’s honour running through from start to finish You get fight scenes that are written as if the author was write their in the combat You get Ninjas and Samurai and warriors and tough as hell men and women There are the feuds on local and national scales You come across Black Dragons and sexy waitresses There are chases and exotic weapons and prisons and Dirty Dozen type rogue platoons There’s humour that plays on language difference and on characters coping with the darkest of situations There’s also the nutty wisdom of monks and life weary characters who manage to phrase a saying like Basho minus the structureI imagined this as a number of things – a film; a comic; a graphic novel – but am pleased that I got to read it first in its novel formOne note of caution I read this buy getting hold of the first instalment just to get a taste When I finished it it was so exciting and at such a point that I simply had to carry on My tip would be to go for the whole thing and save yourself a little effort and a little cash as once you’re in you’ll be in for the duration
• 
  Indie Books

  As reviewed on Indie Books R UsRating YayOkay guys Wow This book has a lot going in it so I’m going to try and make this review as succinct as possibleThe jacket copy is a bit of a misnomer—I was under the impression this followed Reeves but the story is really of his grandfather's—and I’m not certain whose POV receives time out of the two This story revolves around ‘Rage Cage’ Reeves his grandfather and an ancient Japanese blade the grandfather smuggled out of Japan to keep it out of the wrong hands So we alternate in present time with Reeves trying to save the sword and keep it out of the wrong hands and during his grandfather’s time in the armed forces as a special unit fighter His story mostly revolves around World War II and the circumstances leading to today’s current predicamentThe action is great Lots of detailed in your face scenes that hook you in and keep the pages turning I was pretty disappointed when I had to go to sleep and wait to read the rest It fulfills its boast of Tarantino and Kurosawa mash up both of whom I greatly admire It’s clear from the stories that Reeves did a great job with his research too—accuracy bonuses to the weapons history and his Japanese receives a special bonus mentionMikio a Japanese fighter is a large part of the story—and he has a very dirty mouth all of which Pluck leaves in its original Japanese I was shocked and horribly amused because I speak Japanese and it had me cracking up far than it should have The caveat to this is that translations aren’t given until the end of the book and in the ebook I would have liked to have seen a link up to the translations for people because flipping around in an ebook is difficult so if that frustrates you maybe you should bookmark the translation spotAnother big thank you goes out to not making the women into hand wringing sissies It drives me nuts when women are made into fainting flowers and they most certainly aren’t in herePick this one up You won’t be disappointed
• 
  Dale

  What's this book about? It's about ninjas and guns and swords and fights and assassins and a storyline that encompasses a time from World War II to the present Hooked yet? You should be if you like action because this book is jam packed with flying fists and feet bullets and badmen Start with the modern action film trope about the martial arts savvy hero Rage Cage Reeves who's been away returning to a working class hometown populated with feisty louts He has to get rough with a bunch of them while romancing a tough cookie from the mean streets Now mix in a Japanese ninja film some uentin Tarantino a WWII commando film with later POW abuse explosions machine guns and a sword of destiny Enough for you? The book tears through the action scenes so fast that at times you almost get dizzy feeling like you're dodging the bullets and kicks and sword strikes yourself It's an adrenaline thrill ride with sex soldiers and samuraiSo strap yourself in it's gonna be a bumpy ride But a fun one You've been warned Now read the book already before Reeves comes to your house and punches your door in
• 
  Dave

  Disclaimer Thomas Pluck is a fellow Jersey Boy and a write I communicate with often Blade of Dishonor is his first novelBlade of Dishonor takes place over many many years as it follows the Reeves family and their twisted history with an honor Japanese sword As former Ultimate Fighter and Marine Rage Cage Reeves tries to track down the sword and avenge his family Pluck follows his grandfather doing the same during World War IIPluck manages to cover several genres in this old school pulpy thriller but the one he focuses on most is an old Kung Fu style tale The action is fierce fast and violent—and it rarely slows down But through it all Pluck never forgets the characters who shine brightly—especially Tara who is forgive the pun plucky and refuses to give upPluck’s first novel is a fun ride one perfect for the beach this summer Check it out because when you close the book you’ll do so with a smile